BY HAJI NASSOR
Misi Mwalimu Faki is a woman farmer from Gombeume Mchangamdogo village in
Pemba who, despite living with a physical disability, is actively engaged in
climate adaptation through agroforestry. Her work challenges deep-rooted
assumptions about disability, gender, and who can lead climate action at the
community level.
At 58
years old, Misi Mwalimu Faki is a woman with a physical
disability, living with one arm, a mother of nine children, four
sons and five daughters, and the wife of a man who has been chronically ill
for many years. Her daily life has long been shaped by
care, responsibility, and resilience under difficult circumstances.
For years, her household faced deep
vulnerability. Limited income, growing climate stress, and declining soil
productivity made farming increasingly challenging. Feeding a large family was
often uncertain, and each season carried new risks.
Beyond economic hardship, Misi also
experienced social exclusion. In her community, disability
was often associated with dependence and inability. Leadership, especially in
agriculture and environmental initiatives, was rarely imagined for people with
disabilities.
“Many people
believed that because I have one arm, I could not farm or contribute anything
meaningful,” she recalls. “Some thought
my place was only at home, waiting for help.”
As a result, Misi remained invisible in many
development spaces, despite her strong desire to work and provide for her
family. Yet within her grew a quiet determination and an unbreakable belief
that she still had a role to play.
That belief began to take shape when the Zanzibar Women
Leadership in Adaptation (ZanzADAPT) project,
implemented by Community Forests Pemba (CFP), reached Gombeume
Mchangamdogo with a clear commitment to inclusive climate adaptation.
Unlike many initiatives before it, ZanzADAPT
deliberately ensured that women with disabilities were not left behind,
but instead were included, trained, and encouraged to take active roles as
climate actors and leaders.
“When
ZanzADAPT came, they did not focus on my disability,” Misi explains. “They focused on my willingness to learn and my
determination to work. That changed how I saw myself.”
Through the project, she received training in agroforestry and
climate-smart mixed farming, learning practical, locally
appropriate methods to restore land, improve food security, and adapt to the
impacts of climate change.
Today, Misi practices agroforestry on a piece of land
measuring more than two acres. Her farm is still at
an early
establishment stage, with crops and trees just beginning
to grow, an investment in long-term resilience rather than immediate harvests.
On her farm, Misi has planted a diverse mix of
short-term and long-term seedlings, including fruit trees,
forest trees, and spice crops. These include banana plants,
mango trees, avocado trees,
lime trees, cinnamon, cloves, neem trees, and other species.
All of these seedlings were provided with support from Community
Forests Pemba through the ZanzADAPT project, ensuring
both environmental restoration and future livelihood opportunities.
Most of the time, Misi works independently on
her farm, preparing land, planting seedlings, and
managing crops using one arm. Occasionally, one of her children assists her
when tasks become physically demanding.
At times, when her strength is limited, she
pays a small
amount of money for labor support, though this is not
common. “I prefer to work with my own hands,”
she says. “Even if it takes longer, it gives
me dignity.”
“This is my
land and my responsibility,” Misi adds. “I believe this farm will change the life of my family.”
One of her greatest challenges remains the lack of water
infrastructure, especially during the dry season.
Without reliable irrigation systems, sustaining crops becomes difficult when
rainfall is low.
“The biggest
challenge I face is water,” she explains. “If we had proper water systems, I could irrigate my farm even
during drought. When the land becomes dry, farming becomes very hard.”
Despite these constraints, Misi remains
hopeful. She believes that once her crops mature and harvesting begin, the farm
will generate meaningful income, income that will help her meet
household needs, particularly given her husband’s ongoing illness.
“I am
investing my strength today for a better tomorrow,” she says. “When I harvest, I know my family’s situation will
improve.”
Her long-term goal is to expand her
agroforestry farm, making it larger and more productive
while continuing to protect the environment. She also dreams of becoming a role model,
inspiring others to see that disability does not limit leadership.
“I want to
be an example,” Misi concludes. “Even
with one arm, I can lead the fight against climate change. ZanzADAPT showed me
that I am not left behind, and that I, too, can lead.”
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